School of Podcasting: Expert Tips for Launching and Growing Your Podcast

Today Joe Saul-Sehy of Stacking Benjamins Podcast (www.stackingbenjamins.com). Who read the book Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV and thought, "This could apply to podcasting." We also get a "Power of podcating" story on how I heard about a book called Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less that was recommended by fellow podcaster Jon Buscall of the Online Marketing and Communications podcast at jontusmedia.com

I head Jon Buscall interview Joe Pulizi about his new book Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less. Jon said that he liked the book so much that when he got done listening to it, he instantly went back and listened a second time. This made me stop what I was doing, and order the book on Audible immediately. (You can get a free book by signing up for a trial at www.audibletrial.com/dave if you don't like the book you can exchange it for another one).  I look at Jon as a trusted friend. So what happened here. Jon got a content expert on his show. Jon made what Michael Hyatt calls "Wow" content. Jon looks great. I tell you about this great interview and book. I help you find great content. You are grateful. Joe the author, Jon the interviewer, Dave the podcaster, all benefit as do you the listener. Why? because it is quality content. Because of episode after episode that Jon has produced. Trust is built. That trust can be leverage for monetary gain as long as you always protect your listener. It is always about them (not you).

One you have 10 episodes on your website (as they are looking for serious podcasters) go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/audible and you can promote audio books on your website and earn a commission when someone signs up.

Today we talk with Joe Saul-Sehy about the book Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV about what podcasters can learn from television. Joe was on the morning television show before Good Morning America. Joe asks podcasters to think about the setup of the show to match their audience. Chemistry is discussed in this book on how Good Morning America beat the today show after they had been #1 for 16 years. People really connect with the hosts. Joe and his co-host O.G. and their relationship. You hear how Joe and O.G. had their podcast through a few different formats and name - they didn't quit. Joe prefers to get to the point and makes thing "snappy" on the Stacking Benjamins Show People want to be entertained while they are consuming content about the topic they came to learn about. The Today show got "cocky" while Good Morning America started asking the questions the audience wanted to ask. CBS has been growing faster by any other network by ignoring what the other networks are doing and doing what they want to do (longer interviews, no weather person). They are doing their own thing. You can out Good Morning America the actual Good Morning America. In the same way, you can't John Lee Dumis the actual John Lee Dumis. He will always better better and being John than you are. Instead focus on being you. If you have a big guest on your show, go listen to other interviews of that person and make sure to ask different questions. Don't be afraid to ask for bigger guests once you have some interviews under your belt. This can lead to publicists helping you find guests.

If you are looking to get your podcast reviewed by Dave Jackson (me) and Erik K. Johnson the podcast talent coach. Use the coupon sop50 at www.podcastreviewshow.com/reviewme

School of Podcasting Episode on Editing My Podcast Reviews Stacking Benjamins on iTunes

Today we talk with Christopher Brian Jones of trek.fm about what its like to run a podcast network. We learn about some of the struggles he has had along the way, how he builds a relationship with the hosts on the network, abd creates a shared vision and brand. You will be amazed at how focused some of his shows are. If you are a fan of Star Trek, you definitely want to check out trek.fm or if you are an iTunes user check out http://www.itunes.com/trek.fm. Want to comment on the show call in your comments at 888-563-3228

Bill Hutchison is a missionary living in Australia. He produces the YWAM Podcast. Due to his wife having some medical issues, Bill can't leave her alone for long periods of time. However, because of podcasting, Bill can still reach a global audience. He is able to share his relationship with Jesus Christ. Here is a map that shows how many countries that listen to the School of Podcasting

I will be interviewed on a future Episode of the Purpose Rockstar podcast because my friend Kenn Blanchard was on an episode. When Derek (the host) ask Kenn to explain his three podcasts he had a quick pitch for each one. It was cocked and loaded and ready at a moments notice. I thought, "Wow that was cool" so I'm sharing it with you and asking the question, If someone asked you about your podcast do you have a short description (sometimes called an elevator pitch) of your show ready to go? Check out Kenn's Book "Black Man with a Gun" at Amazon.com

Today we talk with Christopher Jones of the trek.fm network. Christopher has a background in media (magazines), media (he was a media buyer), design (he built his own website) and more. He shares his insights on how he started out wanting to do video podcasts, but took his one video show and turned it into 16+ audio shows including: The Ready Room Trek News and Views To the Journey (Voyager) The Orb Warp Five Literary Treks Matter Stream Hyperchannel Deck Eight Captain's Log Commentary Trek Stars

At first Christopher used his website host as a media host. When he got popular, that host told him he had four days to move over 700 episodes. He later moved to Amazon S3 (which always sounds inexpensive, but as you get billed for every single download - and you have a lot of episodes - it adds up to three (possible four) figure hosting bills). Christopher recommend Libsyn.com as he now pays one price for his hosting - no matter how many downloads he gets. You can get a free month at Libsyn.com using the coupon code sopfree. Choosing Hosts Christopher goes through a detailed planning process when launching a new show. He makes sure there is enough content to support an ongoing show (if not it may just be a segment on another show). He uses his "round table" podcast to get to know potential hosts. Getting the right people is a large part of being a successful network. Leave Your Ego At the Door Chris treats all of the shows at trek.fm as equal. They all get the same exposure by being in the "all inclusive" feed. When he chooses a host, he is looking for someone who is all about: 1. Representing Star Trek in a professional manner 2. Boosting the network - not their specific downloads (not all about them) 3. Is open to other opinions, and can discuss different opinions in an open and honest discussion (without getting personal). Connect With Christopher @cbryanjones

Are you dreading your podcast? Are you not happy with the results you're getting. Today we ask some questions to help you get your ducks in a row. We help you see if the goals for your podcast are aligned with the content that you readers want to hear. We also look to see if the goal of your podcast is in alignment with your life. This is episode 411 and I deeply apprecaite you taking the time to listen. I would love to hear from you. You can reach me at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/contact

Cedric the entertainer has launched his own podcast to talk about "this crazy world." He is a farily well known name (he's appeared in movies, does stand up, and recently hosted "Who wants to be a millionaire.").

I email soundcloud.com as I could no longer find the direct link to the mp3 file to put on my website. Their response was dig it out of the RSS feed and sent me a link to my RSS feed, and a screenshot of where the file was. This is not convenient, and furthers my thoughts that this is just not ready for prime time. They have been in beta for THREE YEARS. Also I said that a media host should NOT mess with my file. What I upload is what I want to download. If a visitor uses the download link they get your file (great). However, the file that is included in the RSS feed has it's name changed to a rather lengthy name. I was testing this on my Jillian Michaels Fan cast and the original file was titled, "jmp43_052914.mp3 "  and the file available for download is "152162769-podcastcoach-podcast-review-show-ask-the.mp3" which to me is messing with my brand. Mike Phillips of Computer2know.com let me know that if you Google the address to podbean it comes up as a virtual office. Lawyers often will use these to look more official than they might be at the time. I'm not saying that this is what podbean.com is doing, but I do find it odd. If you missed it, you can check out last week's episode.

Justin from braverbytheday.com is using Opimizepress and is thinking of leaving this file and wants to know how to move to a new theme. In some cases you can simply switch themes in the wordpress dashboard. A wordpress theme is like, "Clothes" for your website. The content is the same, but the look is different. One way to test things before publishing them is to use software like WPSimulator (affiliate link) that allows you to run Wordpress on your PC computer. Once you get it finished, you can upload it to the web. Another (cheaper) alternative is to buy a domain name, and create what others call a "Staging" site. Then once it's done here, you simply move it to the "real" site. In some cases you web host will allow you to have more than one domain under the same account.

The next live class in the "how to podcast" line is How to choose the right podcast equipment. It is going to be Saturday June 7th at Noon EST (if you can't make that time you can get the recording). For more information go to www.howtopodcast.com Erik K Johnson and I do a Podcast Review Show, and we are looking to stockpile a bunch of reviews so we are offering 50% off with the coupon sop50 when you go to www.podcastreviewshow.com/reviewme

As a computer instructor I know how to manage the files. I'm here to tell you I had a folder just disappear. It was weird. I didn't accidnetally drag it into another folder. I didn't accidentally delete it (it was not in the trash can). Luckily I use backblaze.com and I was able to go get all the files (transition music, artwork) for my podcast and restore the files. It was very weird, but by far the best $5 a month I will ever spend. I know Scott Johnson of computertutorflorida.com (a future guest) uses MyPCBackup

Saturday, August 16, 2014 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM (BST)

Why Do You Want to Get Into Podcasting? To Reach a Global Audience To promote your product or service To Network with like minded people To be seen as an expert To Educate To Inspire To Entertain To make money What Do You Want To Talk about? This should be something you want to talk about all the time, you think about all the time. Who Do you want to listen? The more detailed a picture you have, the better your content will. What do I hear about the why? People were missing something, I wanted to add to the conversation I had a background in radio. –This is why you are capable, but not why you should start. This is why if you start, you’ll be slightly ahead of the game. A person has experience as a public speaker. They decide to “nice down” and do a podcast an interview small business owners. They want companies that are between 1 and 20 employees, and do less than 1 million a year. They want to hear about the trials that the small business person went through to build their business. They might even focus on business local to their area. What does your content do for your audience? How does it make them feel? What do you want people to do with your content? What does your content do for your audience? Do You Have the Time to Do it RIGHT? Plan on spending four minutes for every minute of podcast. That’s to create the show. How much time is left in your life to promote the show you just created? Does this mean you don't podcast? NO! It means you make shorter episodes (or publish less frequently). What – Your topic, your passion, Who – Your audience. What do they want to hear? What do you want them to DO with your content? Why – Position the topics that your audience wants to hear so that they are aligned with your goals. How – Does the format (interviews?), length, and publishing schedule align with your life and goals for the podcast.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter? If not, what needs tweaked? Let me know here

Today we tackle the hype around soundcloud.com as a podcasting solution and compare it to some of the other top podcast media solutions that have been around. I apply my criteria, and see who makes it, and share my opinion on why some of them still make me nervous. 

Note: For the record you can get a free month at blubrry.com or Libsyn.com using the coupon code sopfree you will see that even though using those codes benefits me financially, those companies don't always finish on top. 

Amazon S3Buzzsprout.comPodomatic.comLibsyn.comBlubrry.comPodbean.comSpreaker.comSoundcloud.com

1. Don't mess with my file. What I upload is what I want people to download.2. Give me the ability to have an unlimited back catalog (unlimited storage)3. Don't limit my audience size (unlimited bandwidth)4. Don't control my feed, and make it easy to leave if I choose to do so. I need to be able to put in an iTunes redirect script.5. Give me support.6. Charge me for your service so you can stay in business7. Give me stats so I can see what's working. It would be nice if they were accurate.

This kills the following:

Amazon S3. No stats, and your start cheap, but get really expensive if I get popular. (my last bill was over $40).Podmatic - Limited bandwidth, limited storage, and no way to leave (you hijack my feed)Buzzsprout.com - You change my file, and I have to ask to leave.Spreaker.com - You mess with my ID3 tags, and there is no way to leave.

That leaves:Soundcloud.comLibsyn.comBlubrry.comPodbean.com

I tried to get the hosts to line up in a fashion that we could compare apples to apples. It's not easy. For the most part I chose the price point closest to $20.  Here is what I found.

Soundcloud is the cheapest coming in at .0021 per meg (that's almost free)Podbean comes in at .03 per meg of storage  (300 megs per month)Libsyn.com comes in at .05 per meg (400 megs per month)Blubrry.com comes in at .08 per meg (250 Megs per month)

Note: If you want stats that provide details of where your downloads are coming from (countries) you need to have the $79 a month plan for 1.5 gigabytes of storage (which is overkill in 99% of the cases). With this in mind, I am taking podbean out of most of this discussion.

For me, I typically recommend the Libsyn.com account for $20. You get more than enough space and the ability to get a smart phone app. You also get deluxe stats.

1. Soundcloud wins this one hands down. Reason? It's just cool. Does everything but play in a new window.2. Blubrry Powerpress plugin provides the ability to stream, play in new window, or download.3. Libsyn's player can do the same as the Powerpress player with some tweaking

My choice: I use the blubrry powerpress plugin to put a player on my site (you can use this even if you're not using Blubrry for hosting). Why not Soundcloud? Because soundcloud stats are not integrated with Libsyn or blubrry like Stitcher stats (hello Soundcloud if you're going to be in this space you better meet your neighbors). This means using soundcloud and another host will require you to check your stats in more than one place. At this point I'm getting negligible plays from the soundcloud website.

My favorite player for putting in a sidebar is the one from the Blubrry network (free).

Blubrry and Libsyn stats are very simliar with a slight edge to Blubrry for being more user friendly. Libsyn actually gives you more information (cities). Soundcloud can give you some of this information but not the platform (iphone, windows, etc) that Blubrry.com and Libsyn.com

1. Blubrry.com - great content, pretty, and easy to understand and exportable. Blubrry.com offers free stats that show downloads and a few other items.2. Libsyn.com - very similar to blubrry.com (each shows some items the other does not) and exportable. If you're not using the $20 a month plan you get a download numbers only stats.3. Soundcloud - Basic stats with some geographic location.4. Podean.com - as mentioned earlier their stats are pitiful (download only, and can only be viewed one episode at a time) unless you 're using the $79/month.

Soudcloud

Soundcloud's player is one of the coolest things on the planet. It makes your content easy to share, it works everywhere you can add a button to the player (for purchasing something, itunes, etc). The one thing it doesn't do is offer the ability to play in a new window.

Blubrry.com

Blubrry's key is ease of publishing. Once your audio file is done, you can enter your show notes (blog post) and when you upload the file it will take the title of your post and add it to the mp3 file in the ID3 tags. It will also "tag" the other fields in your file.

You do all of this from within the blubrry interface.

Blubrry.com has a distribution on the following:

Libsyn.com

Libsyn has a quick publish feature where you can enter your ID3 tags, and upload the file using an FTP software to a specific folder. The information from within your media file is then used to create an episode post on Libsyn.com This posting can then be replicated on your WordPress site, facebook page, tumblr.com, blogger.com, Linkedincom, youtube.com

If you have $20 a month plan or higher, you can get a smartphone app for your podcast for free. You can charge people for this, or you can spend a little money to get an Apple developer's license and give it away for free (you do need to pay an $10 a month to libsyn as they will provide the customer support for the app).

Libsyn also offers the ability to sell your back catalog. Top podcasters Marc Maron, Adam Corolla and others use this tool which you can find here.

Podbean

For $79 a month, you can manage your mailing list through podbean (or you can use a tool like Awber designed to handle mailing lists).

Can I have more than one podcast on Soundcloud? Kind of. I have all my old outdated (out if print if you will) shows on there as a test. There is only one RSS feed. If you are using your own website and rss feed you could use them as "just a media host."

What's the limitation of their free account? You can only upload a certain amount of files. When I first played with them, I would have to delete a file to upload a new one.

While Libsyn and Blubrry have representatives in all of the podcasting communities. They are at our conventions. We know them by name. Todd, Mike, Angelo, Rob, Elsie, Krystal. Podbean and Soundcloud have no presence that I've seen. They have their websites and pretty much that's it.

Pobean does not list their address on their website. If you want it its:

501 Silverside Road, Suite 105 , Wilmington , DE , 19809 , United StatesPhone: +1 514 969 1917

Why would you not list your address unless you don't want to be found?

Soundcloud has been around since 2008

5 million official SoundCloud apps have been downloaded. In 20012 they celebrated 10 million sound creators.

according to crunch base they've receive 123 million. In 2014 they received 60 million. Yet their podcasting tools are in beta, and you have to request to be in it.

Why is this still in beta after three years (it launched in January of 2011)?

So is Soundcloud a legitimate podcast solution? They do pass all of my criteria, so with that I could say yes. For me, I am still a little nervous about a system that's been in development for THREE YEARS and has not come out of beta. I think their interfaceS (remember they are in the middle up upgrading heir interface) makes their system unfriendly, and their stats are not on par with the two companies I recommend which are Blubrry.com and Libsyn.com

I am using them as an additional distribution point to see if I get any traction over there. In reality, like any other platform, you get out of it what you put into it.

Thanks to Neil, "You were wrong Dave" Smith of undercountryradio.com for sharing his pain.

Check out the UK Podcasters event if you're in the UK

Joing the School of Podcasting today and avoid the pains of podcasting, or take a live coaching class

“So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.” - Dr. Seuss “I've found the best way to revise your own work is to pretend that somebody else wrote it and then to rip the living shit out of it.” ? Don Roff “You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what’s burning inside you, and we edit to let the fire show through the smoke.” - Arthur Plotnik I love editing. It's one of my favorite parts about filmmaking. Steven Spielberg. When I was in California for a new Media Expo, one my my friends scored ticket to the Tonight Show and my wife and I were able to Go. Jay Leno came out and I'm still not sure what happened (it might've been a cue card issue) but he stopped, and he went back behind the curtain and they did the whole intro again. Obviously, the first intro never made it to air. They do a thing called editing that takes the hard work that you've put into finding a topic, and it makes sure you don't get in your own way. I know improve can be electrifying, but in my travels (see Second City in Chicago and a couple improv groups here in Cleveland) most improv sucks. It could be funny, buy it needs this thing called editing. There are movies where people are paid lots of money to read words into a camera. We've all been in a movie that would've been better had it moved quicker. It woud've been better if they left a part out. It would've been better if they had done this thing called editing. The Gold Rules of Content Editing - Listen Through the Ears Of Your Audience 1. When I edit my show, I'm listening through the ears of my target audience. I listen to see if we are on topic. If I'm not if I should cut something, I always ask WWMAD (what would my audience do). 2. It should never sound edited. There will be times when Skype burbs, and you have almost nothing to piece together - I get that. But if you go to cut out an "Um" and the person said, "UuuuuumI think that.." and it's to hard to get the Um out without it sounding weird then leave it it. 3. If you want someone to promote it, they better sound good. These are my opinion/rules do with them what you will.

When podcasting first came on the scene in 2004 you could use your built in microphone and just talk. Much like Milton Berle was the king of TV in the 50's you could be the king of podcasting. Looking back you had a choice of watching Milton Bele or a test pattern. In 2004 you had about 50 podcasts to compete with. Guess what? TEN YEARS later podcasters are spending hundreds of dollars on microphones and using dedicated media hosts and interviewing A list celebrities. You can't just wing it. Wait, I take that back. YOU CAN. The question is should you. I'm here to throw my vote as a yes. I edit my podcast. I love this quote: "“You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what’s burning inside you, and we edit to let the fire show through the smoke.” - Arthur Plotnik." 

It takes time, and from my days of being a public speaker - it's harder to do a 15 minute presentation than a 30 minute presentation as you have to pick out the key points and hit them well.

Be Prepared - One of the reasons we have "ums" is our brain is trying to figure out what to say next. SLOW DOWN, and you will have less ums to worry about.  If you're doing an interview, have some questions planned to use as a "game plan" that you can refer to if the conversation needs a poke. Don't Mess With Your Stuff -  If possible set your equipment up and leave it. This eliminates technical issues in the future.

Here again, the more you "Wing it" the more you will be editing later. If you are doing interviews, it is your responsibility to give your guest a target. Let them know you might pause between questions, this helps to avoid the "over answer" (more on that later). Let them know what to expect. Let Your Guest Know Who They are Talking To I do a number of podcasts. I was asked what my favorite book. I had a very vague idea who the audience was for this audience. I want to deliver great content. I want to provide life changing answers. So I gave a book that I like to read, and hoped his audience might find if useful. Let Your Guests Know How Long the Interview Should Approximately Be I was recently interviewed for the Boomer Business Owner podcast. The host of the show sent me to a link that help me understand who I was talking to, and what they were looking for in regards to answer length. If you ask me how I got into podcasting I have a 30 second answer and a 5 minute answer. Which one would you like? Here is another great site from Jim Collison that helps him prep his guests. Politely Cutting People Off My buddy Erik K Johnson of Podcast Talent Coach (and one of the co-hosts of the Podcast Review show) he had mentioned that when someone starts to take a tangent you can politely interrupt them and ask them for more details on whatever they just mentioned (and to get them back on track). It seems rude, but you're guiding them back to the information that you know your audience will enjoy. (see Erik and I talk about this)

Train Wrecks - These are obvious. You hit the wrong button, your guest starts dropping F bombs, you have 30 seconds of silence in the middle of your show etc. You don't have to look for these they hit you in the face Low Hanging Fruit - These are the "ums" and "ya knows" that stand alone. If the idea is to make you (or you guest) sound smart you can easily highlight them and press delete. If Your Guest Answers "No" to a Question - In most cases finding out that someone is NOT doing something is not helpful. Over Answer - This is where your guest answers your question and then there is a pause (maybe you're looking for the next question) however they think you are wanting more information so they start to answer the question with more unnecessary details. Listen for the Answer to the question - In many cases the guest may give you details that are not needed (off topic etc). My favorite is when you ask a guest a question and they say,  "Well first I want to tell you about..." TMI - In some cases a guest will give you too much information. You asked them what they had for lunch, and they tell you how they cooked it, what they used to eat it, etc. Tangents - Look we all love to take a tangent. The problem is in the middle of the tanget you take a tangent. This is followed by another tangent. You get so far off topic that its not longer useful information.

Today we look at the topic of podfading. We are going to examine what it is, what are the top causes, and how to avoid - and ask if you should? We get help from Jim Collison, Ryan Parker, and Rev. Kenn Blanchard.

Steve Steward produces the Moneyplan SOS podast (learn to pay attention instead of interest), and he had a listener who found his show and downloaded a ton of episodes and listened to them all as he went on a long trip in the car. Today we talk about making great content that connects with people, and obviously Steve is doing a great job.

Podfaing is when your show just stops producting content. There is no "final show" it just stops. The term was invented by Scott Fletcher of the now podfaded show Podcheck Review. According to the Urban Dictionary "A podcast that after a while becomes less and less frequently updated and then blinks out altogether."

According the the Book Tricks of the Podcasting Masters from Rob Walch and Murr Laferty (A great book from 2006) they list the top five reasons people podfade. Lack of time Lack of interest Lack of material Lack of listeners Lack of funds I add to this: Lack of FUN.

If you TURN OFF YOUR TV, you will have time to podcast. But realize there is a 4 to 1 ration. This means that for every one minute of finished podcast it will take you four minutes to produce it. You need to know this up front so you don't say I'm going to do a 30 minute podcast 5 days a week. That's 150 minutes of total episode, so multiply that by 4 and you get 600 minutes of time to create those episodes (10 HOURS). Do you have an extra 10 hours PER WEEK (40 hours per month) to produce a show that will more than likely generate zero income for the first few months?

I once started a "Customer Service Show" where I spotlighted my experience as an award winning customer service representative. It turned out that I just reported on the bad customer service I received everywhere I went. I sounded like a grump old man. After a few shows, I just lost interest. I wasn't really that passionate about that topic. I thought I should podcast about what I know. You should podcast about what you are passionate about. If you are not interested in your topic, maybe bring in a co-host or mix up the format.

My wife and I did a "Dates from Hell Show" where we told stories of horrible dates we had experienced. We thought our audience would chime in with their stories. The bad news is we didn't have an audience, and nobody chimed in. I have a tutorial at the School of Podcasting that shows how to use the Website Feedly.com to have all sort of content come to you. Lack of material can change a podcast from Fun to "Feeling like work." That always leads to podfading.

Never use the word "Only" when describing your download numbers. Last week I had 18 people in a classroom. If I "Only" had 70 downloads, that would be 3.5 classrooms of people. Currently according to Rob Walch the VP of Podcast relations at Libsyn.com the median download of a typical podcast is around 170 (as of May 2014). So 50% of podcasters have over 170, and the other 50% don't. With the right content, you can find yourself in the hundreds of downloads, and eventually the thousand of downloads. It takes time. It takes good content. It also takes you GOING to where your target audience is and networking with them.

Once you have purchased your equipment, the ongoing price of a podcast is around $30 a month (less if your shows are shorter). I've spoken about finding money to podcast in the past. If you want it, you can find it. Some of the things you can do is podcast in mono (it cuts your file size in half - which lowers your media hosting bill). Also if you "take a break" then you can lower your storage space on your media host to the lowest level (just to keep your account active) and then raise it back up when you return.

When you have no time, interest, or money for your podcast it becomes work. When you have to struggle to find content - GOOD content - it becomes a burden.

While I'm not saying its OK to podcast "whenever you want," I would recommend keeping a schedule if you want to be seen as reliable. With this in mind 2 of the top 5 podcasts produce shows on varied lengths on various schedules. What they DO deliver on is great content when they do. These podcasts are the Joe Rogan experience and Dan Carlin's Hardcore History

Babies are wonderful bundles of joy, but they take over your life. Their schedule dictates YOUR schedule. When you move to a new location, or get a new job, or grow a spouse, etc. All of these can lead you to shifting your life's priorities. I'm here to say, "It's OK." Ryan Parker of the Food Craftsmen Podcast stated, "Nobody is going to punch you in the face."

Unless you're the Simpson's television show, most shows eventually stop production. Growing up I loved Happy Days, Cheers, Friends, Seinfeld, M*A*S*H, Family Ties, and more. They all eventually stopped. Do I hate the actors? No. I would love to shake Henry Winkler's hand. I think he is a phenomenal human being. Consequently, if you're no longer enjoying producing your podcast maybe you should shut it down. Let your audience know you're taking a break. If after the break is over, you still don't want to produce it - record one more episode and explain that you're done. Nobody will punch you in the face.

The first question to ask is should you avoid podfading. Ryan Park mentions that we well thought out podcast that has 15 episodes could be planned and produced with that in mind. You could say, "This is episode 1 of 15" and let the audience know that this is intentional. There is no rule that says you have to go on forever. One of the key steps to avoid podfading is to put some thought into it when you start. A properly planned podcast may help you avoid the starting - stopping - starting syndrome.

One of the things that STOP US from making great content is obsessing over stats. If we aren't looking at our download numbers, we are looking at our "Competition" and seeing how many sponsors they have. This (often) makes us envious and frustrated. Ken Blanchard speaks how he was one of the first Gun Shows on the Internet. Others have moved in over time and they have the magic touch and are getting sponsors. This leads many of use to think, "Hey what about me?" I know I think we all fall into this trap from time to time.

We all know that "Life happens" so if you have a life changing event, its nice to have a stockpile of podcast episodes to feed to your audience. If you don't you can always repurpose older shows that many not be so easy to find on your website, or are available in your feed anymore. Go in With Your Eyes Wide Open - Have Realistic Expectations If we just do the opposite of the above Set aside time Pick a topic we are uber-interested in Something we have a great stream of material We understand that growing an audience takes time. We shouldn't focus on "growing our audience fast" but instead, "What content would touch our audience the deepest?" We need to know that any hobby or small business costs money to maintain. $30 to reach a global audience is the best value on the internet. Lack of funds

If you know you are taking a hiatus (permanent or otherwise) it is always wise to keep you audience in the loop. Let them know when to expect you back. In the event you decide to call it quits, thank them for listening, and let them know where to find you. If you might come back, you may want to create a email list to alert people where they can sign up for future updates. Ryan Parker took a three month hiatus. He still created blog posts, and sent out email blasts, and in the end didn't see much of a dip in numbers. He was still communicating with his audience. He was just communicating in a different matter. Remember to lower your media hosting package to save money.

Rock bands like KISS, the Eagles, Cher, and others have done a "Last tour ever" tour. This is usually followed by the "We're out of money already" tour about four years later. There is no rule that says you can't come back. Just don't be surprised if you've lost some of your audience (possibly).

If you'd like to avoid the headaches of podcasting, joing the School of Podcasting. Quit doing Google searches that result in bad advice from outdated websites, avoid the headaches, and avoid paying too much for podcast equipment and advice today. JOIN TODAY

Today on episode 406 we get a great because of my podcast story, we debunk the "8 week myth" in iTunes (thanks to Rob Walch from Libsyn.com), we hear about a new Wordpress feature that might be good for podcasters, we hear how podcasting boosts SEO, and boosts leads. If you're thinking of starting a podcast, check out www.howtopodcast.com our next live class starts 5/3

The quick start program is where all you have is an idea, but you're ready to get into podcast. I send you an affiliate link and your order your web hosting through me. To say "Thank you" I give you a 30 day pass to the School of Podcasting (with access to all of the videos). I also will install Wordpress for you, and all the plugins you need to start podcasting (you will need to supply graphics and content). The planning your podcast class starting 5/3/2014 is a LIVE class (via webinar) where you can ask me live questions as I go through all the things you need to consider before launching a podcast. For more information about the Plannign Your Podcast webinar go to www.howtopodcast.com

I let you hear how you can remove unwanted noise from your audio. This is available both in Audacity and Adobe Audition.

Today we spotlight Guy Dimartino and the Chiropractic Lawyer podcast check it out in iTunes, or on his website.

According to CBS most people stay on their site for 33 seconds. I went in and looked at my stats on my saw where I had people (11%) staying over an hour in some cases. There is a mass amount of people who DO stay for 2-5 minutes. That is still much longer than 33 seconds. When people stay on yoru site longer Google figures that your content is good and then boosts your ratings in Google searches.

The new version of Wordpress allows you to create playlists. This is great for podcasters who want to have a "start here" section. You can upload a few audio files and put them on a page and insert them as a playlist. The "cool" thing is it works on a phone, and the files are NOT downloadable - which means they have to sit and listen - keeping you on your site longer.

Be sure to put subcsribe buttons, and newsletter sign ups under the playlist

Should I Produce Version of This show is Segments

Jason is working two jobs and has five children and still has time to podcast. Today he shares his insights into working with co-hosts, have a podcast implode, learning from your mistakes, and following your passion.

Jason was blessed to have a job where he could do podcast editing while he worked.

He not only gets "big names" for guests, but also people he feels would deliver great content.

He has a number of audience members help him deliver his show.

Smodcast by Kevin Smith

Tell ‘Em Steve-Dave!

Edumcation

Welcome to Nightvale

School of Podcasting

Rob Walch the VP of Podcasting Relations at Libsyn.com stated in the last episode of The Feed Rob debunks the "You have 8 weeks to get into New and Noteworthy" in iTunes myth. 

Another one is "You need at least three episodes to be featured in iTunes" (not true - my Client Dr. Nina of Win the Diet War did it with one episode). 

One podcast in New and Noteworthy was from 2008, and another one was from 2 years ago. If someone tells you different (typically charging you a lot of money) they are WRONG. 

Check out the feed in iTunes and check out their blog

If you want a free month of Podcast Media Hosting use the coupon code sopfree to get a free month at Libsyn.com